Different types of vending machines have been proposed, where goods are displayed and are made available when a blocking member has been released.
Certain types are based upon coins being fed into a slot, but such machines are unsuitable on many occasions, especially when they cannot be kept under continuous surveillance. A sum of money collected in this way will always be an incitement to burglary.
Vending machines have also been proposed, where each withdrawal of an article causes an activity upon a control slip, which is introduced into the machine. The control slip may be pre-paid and a purchase means a reduction of the sum available, or the purchases are added up and are paid afterwards. Certain difficulties are involved in preventing unauthorized use of such machines.
The aim of the present invention is to design a release element in such a manner, that control of goods being removed from the machine is simplified.